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('No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. L. WHEELER.

, OSGILLATING ENGINE.

No. 372,348. Patented Nov. 1, 188'7.-

NITED STATES PATENT Prion.

FRANK L. WHEELER, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOEDWARD M. LEWIS, OF SAME PLACE.

.OSCILLATING ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,348, dated November1, 1887.

Application filed January 17, 1887. Serial No. 224,516.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK L. WHEELER,residingat Southington, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOscillating Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in oscillating engines, theobject being to produce a simple, cheap, durable, economical, andefficient motor.

With these ends in view my invention consists in an oscillating enginehaving certain details of construction and combination of parts, as willbe hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of anengine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the cylinder andsteam-chest in vertical longitudinal section; and Fig. 3 is a viewthereof, in z 5 transverse section, 'showin g also the operatingconnections of one of the valves.

The cylinder A is provided with hollow trunnions B and C, having bearingin the uprights D and E of the standard F, which may o be of anysuitable construction. The piston G is secured to a piston-rod, H,playing in packings'I I, located in the respective heads J J of thecylinder, and connected in the usual manner with the crank K, which issecured to 5 a crank-shaft, L, carrying a fly-wheel, M, as shown. Alive-steam pipe, N, is connected with the trunnion B, and anexhaust-steam pipe, 0, with the trunnion C, such pipes having suitablelivesteam supply and discharge 0 connections. The pipe N leads into alivesteam passage, 1?, opening into the steam-chest Q, which, with theexhaust-chamber R, located below it, is formed in the same casting withthe cylinder, the chest being closed in at the 5 top by a cover, S,bolted in place.

Short live-steam ports T and U, respectiv'el y located at the oppositeends of the steam-chest, connect the same with the opposite ends of thecylinder, while exhaust'ports V and W,

located just inside of the ports T andtU, con- (No model.)

nect the steam-chest with the opposite ends of the exhaust-chamber, fromwhich the exhaust pipe 0 leads through the trunnion G, as described.

The said ports T and U and V and W intersect the bottoms of the twocurved valveseats, X X, located at the opposite en ds of the steam:chest and, respectively, receiving the segmental valves Y Y, which areshaped to lit the curved seats, closed at their ends and each providedwith two upwardly-extending lugs, Z Z, as shown- Blocks A A fittingbetween the lugs of the respective valves, couple the same with therocking-shafts B B, upon which they are located, the said shafts beingjournaled in the opposite walls of the steam-chest, and each having oneend projecting through the same wall thereof.

Adjustable packings G are provided for the projecting ends of eachshaft. Cranks D D, secured to the said ends of the shafts, are pivotallyconnected at their opposite ends with links E E, having their adjacentends connected through pins F F to sliding blocks G G, reciprocating invertical slots H H, formed in the upright 1) of the standard, the saidupright being located between the valves. A coupler or yoke, I,connecting the said links, is itself attached to a bell-crank lever, J, fulcrumedupon an upright, K, the yoke, and hence the links, being lowered andraised by such bell-crank lever.

The valves and their described connections are constructed so thatwhen'the links are in line with the trunnions the cylinder will not takesteam, however rocked. To start the engine, then, the bell-crank leveris operated to move the adjacent ends of the links above or below thetrunnions and the steam turned on. It will enter the engine, through thepipe N in the trunnion B, pass through the passage l, and enter thesteam chest. Then, under the conditions represented by Fig. 2 of thedrawings, it will pass through the port T into the cylinder and move thepiston to the opposite end thereof. This movement rocks the cylinderunder the valves, which remain stationary,and permits the spent steam onthe opposite side of the piston from the live steam to exhaust throughthe live-steam port U, the

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valve thereof, the exhaust-port IV, the exhaustchamber, and the pipe 0extending through the trunnion O, as described. By the time the end ofthe stroke is reached,the rocking of the cylinder opens the port U andadmits live steam into the cylinder and forces the piston back, whilethe spent steam is exhausted through the port 'I, the valve thereof, theportV, the cxhaustchambor, and the pipe 0, aforesaid.

\Vhile the valves are not moved by the rocking of the cylinder they maybe moved for regulating the amount of steam admitted into the cylinder,as circumstances of pressure or of the power required may dictate, forreversing the engine, and for stopping it without shutting off steam.The last effect is reached by operating the bell-crank lever to bringthe links into line with the trunnions when the cylinder will not takesteam, however rocked. To start the engine, the lever is operated toraise the links above or lower them below the trunnions, the amount ofsteam admitted to the cylinder increasing as they are moved away. fromthe trunnions and decreasing as they are moved toward them.

Under the described construction the valves are radially movablerelative to their shafts and automatically adjust themselves in takingup all wear between their working-faces and the valve-seats.Furthermore, the valves, being closed at their cnds,will never leak atsuch points.

By employing two sets of valves and ports, and respectively locatingthem at oppositeends of the steam-chest, the ports are shortened,whereby the friction of the steam and the time occupied by it inreaching the cylindcrare reduced to the minimum, with obvious gain ineconomy and efficiency.

If desired, the bell -crank lever and yoke may be replaced by othermeans for simultaneously raising and lowering the links. I wouldtherefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exactconstruction herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as are fairly within the spirit andscope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an oscillating engine, the combination, with a cylinder, of asteam-chest provided with livestcam and exhaust ports,valves for suchports, and means for holding such valves while the cylinderis rockedunder them and for simultaneously adjusting them, substantially as setforth.

2. In an oscillating engine, the combination, with a cylinder, of asteamchest provided with live-steam and exhaustports,valves for such portsmade adjustable for excluding steam from the cylinder without shuttingit off from the steam-chest and for reversing the engine, and means forholding the valves while the cylinder is rocked under them,substantially as set forth,

3. In an oscillating engine, the combination, with a cylinder rocking ontrunnions, of a steam-chest provided at each end with a live steam andan exhaust port, valves for such ports, and connections between suchvalves and an upright adjacent to the cylinder, substantially ,as setforth.

4. In an oscillating engine, the combination,with a rocking cylinder, ofa steam-chest provided with live-steam and exhaust ports, valves forsuch ports, a fixed support located adjacent to the cylinder and betweenthe said valves, and connections between the valves and such support,substantially as set forth.

5. In an oscillating engine, the combination,with a rocking cylinder, ofa steam-chest provided with live-steam and exhaust ports, valves forsuch ports, an upright supporting a trunnion of the cylinder, andadjustable connections between such valves and the said upright,substantially as set forth.

6. In an oscillating engine, the combination,with a rocking cylinder, ofa steamchcst provided with livesteam and exhaust ports, valves for suchports, a slotted upright located adjacent tothe cylinder and between thevalves, and connections between such upright and the valvcs,whereby theyare held as the'cylinder rocks and adjusted to control the flow of thesteam, substantially as set forth.

7. In an oscillating engine, the combination, with a cylinder rocking ontrunnions, of rco and connections being constructed so that when thelinks are in line with the trunnions of the cylinder steam will beexcluded from the cylinder and admitted thereto when the links are movedout of line with such trunnions, substantially as set forth.

8. In an oscillating engine, the combina tion, with a cylinder, of asteam-chest provided with live-steam and exhaust ports, a fixed uprightadjacent to the cylinder, provided with vertical slots, andconnections'between the valves and the upright, including pin-blockssliding in the slots of the latter, substantially as set forth.

9. In an oscillating engine, the combination, with a cylinder, of asteam-chest provided with live-steam and exhaust ports, a fixed uprightadjacent to the cylinder, connections between the valves and theupright, a coupler between such connections, and means attached to thecoupler for operating it to simultaneously shift the valves,substantially as set forth.

10. In an oscillating engine, the combination, with a cylinder, of asteam-chest provided with live steam and exhaust porls,valvcs I I I i\for such ports, a fixed upright adjacent to the cylinder, connectionsbetween the valves and such upright, a coupler between such connections,and a bell crank lever attached to the coupler for shifting the valves,substantially as set forth.

11. In an oscillating engine, the combination, with a cylinder, of asteam-chest provided withlive-steam and exhaust ports,valves for suchports, shafts mounted in the chest and coupled with such valves and eachprojecting through the chest, two cranks respectively connected with theprojecting ends of the valve-shafts, an upright adjacent to thecylinder, and links connecting the cranks with the upright,substantially as set forth;

'12. In an oscillating engine, the combination, with a cylinder, of asteam-chest provided with live-steam and exhaust ports and with curvedvalve-seats intersected by such 20 ports,valves shaped to fit suchseats,which are rocked under 'them with the cylinder, and means forholding the valves when the cylinder is so rocked, substantially as setforth.

In testimonywhereofIhavesignedthisspeci- 25 fication in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesscs.

FRANK L. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. B. SHUMWAY, E. M. LEWIS.

